- In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, two initiatives – PRET and the Big Catch-up – have been launched to better prepare for future outbreaks of similar scale and devastation, as well as to boost vaccination rates among children.
- Through the initiative, WHO will use a mode of transmission approach to guide countries in pandemic planning, given that many capacities and capabilities are common among groups of pathogens.
- PRET answers the call for technical guidance and support for promoting and strengthening integrated preparedness and response, as outlined in World Health Assembly resolutions.
- The COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies have shown that countries need to be operationally ready to respond to infectious disease threats, with tailored preparedness plans in hand and better coordination and collaboration with other sectors such as agriculture.
Three Tiers of Pandemic Preparedness:-
It recognizes that there are three tiers of systems and capacities relevant to pandemic preparedness:
- those that are cross-cutting for all or multi-hazards
- those that are relevant for groups of pathogens (respiratory, arboviruses etc.)
- those that are specific to a pathogen.
